Throughout their lifetimes, both Gandhi and Stalin rose to power. They both utilized unique methods to reach their goals. Stalin aimed to create a communist state in Russia, while Gandhi hoped to achieve Indian self-rule peacefully.

Stalin rose to power through several means and actions. He embarked on his goal, creating a communist state, and ruled severely through a totalitarian government. As a totalitarian, Stalin challenged the ideas of basic human rights and freedoms. Nicknamed "Man of Steel," he ruled with an iron fist, slaughtering those who opposed his ideas and his regime. In his early years, he protested against the early Russian government, joining with the likes of Trotsky and Lenin, to fight for a fair and just government. To keep his totalitarian state under control, he created "The Great Purge." These short years served to mass murder those who did not hold totalitarian and communist views.

English: Gandhi during the Salt March, March 1930....

English: USSR stamp, Mahatma Gandhi, 1969, 6 k. Р...

Stalin's Mug Shot The information card on Joseph S...

Sending thousands to gulags, where they worked themselves to death, Stalin rid of the majority of his opposition.

Stalin, with the betterment of his country in mind, also introduced the five-year plan, which moved industrialization and modernization forward at a great price to his people. Stalin ruled with brute force for many years, ruling an oppressive government and killing thousands of his own citizens, all in the name of totalitarianism.

Gandhi, a peaceful scholar, husband, and revolutionary, was a polar opposite to Stalin. Gandhi fought for the sovereignty of India and its people. Employing several techniques new to the world, Gandhi led India on a path to autonomy until his death in 1948.

Gandhi discovered new ammunition against the British rule; the people's will and anger. The people protested against the British in their attempts to smother the Indian rebellion. Leading protests, Gandhi used a new method of displaying discontent peacefully. The method, deemed civil disobedience, allowed the Indians to show what they thought without hurting other. Gandhi, nicknamed "The Great Soul," also had the people's interests in mind, unlike Stalin. Gandhi favored reason, freedom individual worth, and dignity, and focused on the betterment of the people, all of which are unobtainable under a totalitarian government. One of the vital elements of Gandhi's success was his commitment to teaching by example. Within Gandhi, one could not find an inconsistency or hypocrisy in his ways. Gandhi's will and obligation to the people, and values allowed him to become a ruler who was liked, rather than feared.

Gandhi and Stalin, although differing in their views, had some common ground in the way they gained power and accomplished goals. Both were able to deify themselves through various means, including appealing to the people (although during Stalin's reign, the people's approval was short lived.) Both Gandhi and Stalin also rebelled at some point in their life, helping them reach their goal.

Stalin, a fear-inducing dictator of Russia, and Gandhi, a peaceful, simple man, both captured the attention and respect of the people. Their goals, although difficult and seemingly unobtainable, were both achieved using two completely different methods. Each left a mark on this world, and showed the people what commitment and ingenuity allows for.

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